Soccer as a unifying factor - in the United States

.Great National Soccer Teams: for passionate (and future lovers) of soccer

Last february 14th, the Football Museum was visited by someone who speaks - or rather writes - with property: Annie Leah Sommers.

She is the author of an interesting book, Great National Soccer Teams. Considering the phenomenon of football in the United States, her work - focused on young people - may perhaps contribute to a change in the profile of soccer players in the United States where, according to Sommers, football is already a unifying factor, but still quite different from the characteristics of Brazilian football. And whether for political, cultural or those quarrels of brothers with almost the same age, differences between Brazil and the United States are sometimes highlighted. They exist, of course, but it is also true that there are many common points (besides being "young" countries, when compared with Europe and Asia). One of them is sport - mixing is present, either in our football, whether in basketball there.

Since the Eighties, at times, we have comparisons between Pelé and Michael Jordan - sometimes even to redo the poll of the French newspaper L'Equipe, to decide who is the athlete of the century. Pelé and Jordan are black, both with an absurdly unusual fitness, had broken all possible records in their careers and are no longer mere athletes, to be converted to, as shown by the very Annie Sommers, legends and stars. The author, however, imposes the first adjective to Pelé, and the second to Jordan. This shows not only His uniqueness but also how soccer, due to its popularity around the world, turned into something like music - a universal language.

Annie Sommers, in her work, breaks through the main features of football in different countries. A conversation with her, however, shows that we face a specialist. She hardly believe the future of soccer in the United States (as much is preached) is connected to the Latins: "in the U.S., elite level soccer at a youth level is and has been for the most part, 'pay to play'", says the author. A similar process has occurred in Brazil - the urbanization and proliferation of soccer schools transformed, from the mid-'90s, money in a determining factor in the success (or not) of a player. The difference perhaps lies in the fact that, in Brazil, soccer is seen by many of these boys as a gold mine, while in the United States the same is true with other sports, such as basketball, football and baseball.

Sommers believes that Brazil will win the next World Cup, but does so as an "emotional hunch". From New York, where she lives, granted this interview for The Ball Blog.

THE BALL BLOG - The U.S. people enjoy sports, not exactly soccer but basketball, football, baseball et cetera. Do you think that the sports phenomenon in the U.S. and Brazil are similar?
ANNIE LEAH SOMMERS - While soccer is catching on in popularity on the national level in the United States, it's far more common to find fans who have a favourite national team abroad — Italy, Brazil, England, Mexico, etc. The motivation for these choices is either due to the desire to support their ‘home’ country (ex: Mexican-americans support Mexico) or because of their affinity towards a club team outside the United States — immigrants who followed a particular club team when they were kids, or when their dads were kids. Or city team in the US Soccer League (both natural born citizens and immigrants will follow these teams), as opposed to simply wanting the American National Team to win. In other words, soccer in Brazil is much more of a 24-hour a day, heart and soul equalizer than in the United States, where other sports reign supreme.

TBB - Before writing Great National Soccer Teams, what was your involvement with soccer?
SOMMERS - I was in Paris for the World Cup in 1998, and it was then that soccer and the mania for it caught my attention. After that, it stayed in my peripheral vision as something that was of interest because of its power to move people to such emotional depths. Later on in my career, it caught my interest once again as I was examining cultural phenomena that were of a particular interest to young adults living in the United States — regardless of their nationality. Soccer intrigued me because it is a unifying factor, especially in multicultural city such as New York, where I live. Coincidentally, around this time, Rosen Publishing in New York, publisher of high quality non-fiction for young readers, and for whom I have worked as an editor and author, commissioned me to write this book. Through this, I was able to further immerse myself in the fascinating world of soccer. Seeing the growing interest in the upcoming World Cup in South Africa, Rosen put together a whole series on soccer aimed at teen readers (all the books of the series are at http://www.rosenpublishing.com/).

TBB - How similar (or different) are Pelé and Michael Jordan?
SOMMERS - Pelé is a legend, whereas Jordan is a star.

TBB - What are the "soccer moms"? How important they were for Bill Clinton's campaign, in 1996?
SOMMERS - In reality, a soccer mom is a euphemism for a woman (in the United States, most probably white and at least middle class) whose maternal instincts are largely applied toward the practical logistics of raising a child-athlete. In terms of Bill Clinton's 1996 campaign, the term being coined was the result of an article in The New York Times — published the day of the first televised presidential debate — stipulating that Clinton's victory was dependent on support from this “soccer mom” demographic.

TBB - Why soccer, in the U.S., is still more practiced by women?
SOMMERS - Because male athletes at the high school and college level are more apt to choose sports where there is a chance to earn high salaries — football, basketball and baseball. Female athletes do not have money as a motivator, so they play basketball, volleyball and soccer (the top 3 for women in college athletics).

TBB - The American sports culture, quite different compared to Europe's, is a form of national affirmation towards England? "Refusing" to take part on soccer and, for instance, in Formula 1, effectively, the U.S. are reinforcing, in a certain way, its independence towards the British mainland?
SOMMERS - America does not go out of its way to ally itself with England. On a cultural level, those ties have long been broken.

TBB - Do you believe that the future of soccer in the United States is linked to latin players?
SOMMERS - Actually, no. I believe that, unfortunately, it all has to do with money. As noted by the president of the United States Soccer Federation, Sunil Gilati, "One of the issues . . . in the United States is that elite level soccer at a youth level is and has been for the most part, 'pay to play'". Inner city kids in the United States are not playing soccer and those with the aim of going pro tend to go with the sports where the money is — still football and basketball.

TBB - In your opinion, who will win the next World Cup?
SOMMERS - I have to say Brazil. But to be honest, I must admit that to be a response based on an emotional desire as opposed to a statistical prophecy.
.